I really miss the old days of cheat codes in video games. Whether it was printing them out from websites like Cheat Code Central or buying cheat code books at school, they let you quickly unlock content in rented games and, more importantly, mess around with the game in fun and creative ways. Modern console games rarely offer this kind of freedom, and when they do, it’s usually just extra content you have to pay for – it doesn’t have the same excitement as discovering codes yourself.
The PlayStation 2 was among the last consoles where games commonly included cheat codes, and that’s another reason it remains so beloved by gamers. While everyone’s experience is different, many feel that gaming lost something special when cheat codes became less frequent. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and remember some PS2 games that were made even more fun with cheats.
We’re specifically talking about in-game codes here. No GameShark or Action Replay stuff.
8. NFL Blitz 2003
If Only Real Football Could be This Wacky
| Developer | Midway |
|---|---|
| Platforms | PS2, GBA, GameCube, Xbox |
| Release Date | August 2002 |
To be honest, I’m not a huge football fan. While I don’t mind the physical aspect of the game, that’s pretty much all there is to it for me. It could really use some elements to make it more exciting and visually impressive. NFL Blitz 2003 is already a fun, over-the-top arcade football game, but it could be even more outrageous.
The cheat codes for NFL Blitz 2003 are surprisingly diverse, ranging from practical to completely bizarre. You can use them to change how the game plays – like removing punts, automatically getting first downs, or making players faster. But you can also do really strange things, such as turning your whole team into monkeys, giving them huge heads and feet, or granting unlimited speed. My favorite is a mode where nobody can catch a pass – it’s complete chaos!
Football is a game full of possibilities for playful trickery, making it a perfect fit for over-the-top games like Mutant Football League. Similar to the cheat codes in NFL Blitz, you can easily switch between realistic and wildly chaotic football experiences.
7. Spider-Man (2002)
Everybody’s Web-Slingin’
Most Spider-Man fans know his famous line: “With great power comes great responsibility.” Traditionally, Spider-Man handles everything himself because he’s the one with the powers. This idea was a key part of what made the first Sam Raimi Spider-Man movie so memorable. However, the video game based on that movie actually lets you show that Spider-Man doesn’t always have to do everything alone.
Most of the cheat codes in this game let you play as different characters instead of Spider-Man. You can choose from villains like The Shocker and Green Goblin, regular citizens, or even Mary-Jane. While most characters play just like Spider-Man—which is amusing to watch, especially when Mary-Jane is doing acrobatic moves—the Green Goblin is different because he can fly using his glider.
The game also includes a few fun modifiers, like the classic big head mode. There’s also a unique “Matrix mode” that dramatically slows down Spider-Man’s attacks, creating a cool visual effect.
6. Amplitude (2003)
Make My Music Dumber
Using cheat codes in a rhythm game like Amplitude feels a bit wrong, almost like a forbidden pleasure. Rhythm games are so precisely designed around timing and music, that cheating feels disruptive – imagine crashing an orchestra in a silly costume! But clearly, people enjoy the rebellious fun of it, or you wouldn’t be interested in learning about these cheats.
Amplitude offers cheats that fall into two main types: those that help you play, and those that change how the game looks. The gameplay cheats provide assistance, like automatically giving you power-ups or even playing the song for you. Interestingly, there are also cheats designed to make the game more challenging, like mixing up where gems appear or slowing everything down.
The game also has some strange visual options. You can make the panels black or get rid of them altogether, turn on a ‘drug mode’ for a trippy effect, or even replace the gems with monkey heads! These options don’t help you play the game better, but they’re amusing, and that’s the point.
5. The Simpsons: Hit & Run
An Average Day in Springfield
One of the things I love about The Simpsons is how they can always get into crazy situations without anything really sticking – every week feels like a fresh start. But it’s funny because in the Hit & Run game, causing trouble actually has consequences! You wreck stuff, the cops chase you, and you get fined. It just feels…wrong! So, I think we need to restore the balance of the universe with some good old-fashioned cheat codes!
In The Simpsons: Hit & Run, cheat codes let you supercharge your car with incredible speed and make it virtually indestructible. You can even instantly wreck any other vehicle you bump into! Combining these cheats turns you into an unstoppable force, letting you rampage through Springfield. It feels like something Bart Simpson would absolutely love.
Unlock more cheats to give your car a horn-activated jump, perfect for escaping the police or crashing into walls for fun. For even more mayhem, try the “drunk drivers” cheat, which causes all other cars to drive erratically and unpredictably.
4. Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2
I Miss Cartoony Boxing Games
Is it just me, or are boxing games a thing of the past? It’s too bad, because boxing actually lends itself really well to video games. Plus, it’s a perfect setting for over-the-top, fun gameplay, like we’ve seen in classics like Punch-Out, Facebreakers, and Ready 2 Rumble Boxing. I still really enjoy Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 – the characters and goofy cheat codes were fantastic.
You can unlock the guest characters by playing the game normally, but I always preferred to use cheats to unlock them right away. These guests – like Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton, and Hillary Clinton – surprisingly fit right in with the game’s already quirky characters.
Once I got the game running normally, that’s when the real fun started – messing with the cheat codes! You can really change things up. Like, I turned on super speed and suddenly everyone was moving so fast it was chaos – it felt like being in a Dragon Ball Z fight! There are also codes to make everyone super skinny or really chunky, and, naturally, one to give everyone giant heads. Honestly, bigger heads just mean more to hit!
3. LEGO Star Wars
It’s Not LEGO if it’s Not A Little Silly
Many LEGO video games share a core idea: almost any popular story can be made fun and accessible for families by adding playful jokes and a bit of silliness. The original LEGO Star Wars game proved this, even without characters speaking. And if the lighthearted humor didn’t quite win you over, you could always ramp up the chaos with cheat codes.
LEGO Star Wars features cheats you can activate using passwords. These mainly let you unlock characters like General Grievous and Darth Maul right away, making it more enjoyable to replay levels. There are also useful cheats like a Minikit Detector or temporary invincibility. However, the most entertaining part of the cheat system comes from the fun and quirky modifiers it offers.
Using passwords, you could change almost anything – make weapons ridiculously large, turn dangerous blasters into harmless toys, or even give everyone a purple skin tone or a comical mustache. In fact, I believe the Star Wars prequels would have been better if all the characters sported large, bushy mustaches.
2. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3
Try Skating with Giant Feet
The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games have always had a playful, lighthearted side. While skateboarding is a genuine sport, these games were primarily aimed at a younger audience who enjoyed having fun and doing goofy things – something I definitely did when I played Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3.
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Just like in Ready 2 Rumble Boxing, most players immediately unlocked all the skaters. While getting the real-life skaters was cool, the biggest appeal was the guest characters – like Wolverine and Darth Maul – who each had their own special moves. Once that was taken care of, the real fun could begin!
I used to love messing around with cheats in the game. One thing I’d do is turn on the infinite grind balance cheat, find a round pool, and leave my skater grinding in circles all night, just to see how high the score would climb by morning. There were other fun cheats too, like low gravity for huge jumps, and modes that made your skater gigantic or tiny. And if you wanted a really disorienting experience, you could play in first-person mode.
1. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
A Classic of Silly Sandboxes
The Grand Theft Auto games on the PlayStation 2 were famous for their incredible cheat codes. You could enter button combinations to drastically change the game, from altering the world around you to modifying your character. Almost every GTA title on the PS2 offered this kind of chaotic fun, but Vice City stands out as a particularly memorable example.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was full of cheat codes for almost anything you could imagine. They let you quickly restore your health and armor, adjust your wanted level, or instantly spawn cars and motorcycles – from everyday models to supercars. You could even play as different characters like Lance Vance or Hilary King. But the most entertaining codes were the ones that changed pedestrians and vehicles, creating hilarious and unpredictable situations.
A few simple commands let you instantly cause complete chaos in the game. You could make all the characters hostile – turning them against you or each other and creating widespread panic. Vehicles could be modified to float, fly, or become invisible, and you could even set nearby cars on fire with a single code. Vice City perfectly captures the fun of cheat codes, giving you the power to transform the game world into a playground of your own making.
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2026-02-19 22:12